US House GOPers ban heavy water purchase from Iran
The Republican-weighted US House of Representatives has passed legislation to block the purchase of heavy water from Iran, despite earlier warnings by President Barack Obama to veto such a measure.
The "No 2H2O from Iran Act" was supported exclusively by the GOPers and finally passed by 249-176 on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
The move is part of the Republican attempts to undermine efforts by the Obama administration to negotiate a nuclear deal with Tehran along with five other world powers, Britain, Russia, China, Germany, and France.
Representative Ed Royce, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, claimed that the measure would not violate the deal, dubbed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The measure was introduced by Republicans Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Marco Rubio as well as Democrats, Robert Menendez and Joe Manchin.
Its targets include Iran's ballistic missile development as well as extension of the Iran Sanctions Act.
In April, the US government completed an $8.6-million deal to buy 32 metric tons of heavy water from Iran.
The JCPOA took effect on January 16 and all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran were lifted as a result in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.
Some Congress members, particularly pro-Israeli Republicans, have long been trying to derail the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned that Iran would restore its nuclear program fully if JCPOA is violated.
Speaking at a ceremony in Tehran Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of the deal, saying, “If, some day, the P5+1 refuses [to fulfill] its commitments, we will be completely prepared, and, in terms of nuclear capabilities, we are at such a level so as to be able to reach our desired stage in a short period of time.”
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